EXCLUSIVE: Biden's campaign is taking aim at former President Trump following the administration's decision to ease federal restrictions on marijuana.
President Biden announced the “monumental” change in marijuana policy Thursday in a video posted to social media, beginning a process to reclassify the drug from a Schedule I restricted substance to a Schedule III.
“It's simple, Joe Biden smokes a sleepy Don to deliver for the American people. After four years of so many talks and failures by Donald Trump, Joe Biden is keeping his promise on marijuana policy, moving America forward and making America safer,” Biden campaign spokesman James Singer told Fox News Digital following the announcement.
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“Donald Trump got marijuana policy wrong and made America less safe, harming young people and communities of color. Voters cannot afford the broken promises and dangerous failures of a second Trump term,” he added.
Trump's position on marijuana remained somewhat ambiguous throughout his presidency. He previously expressed the view that marijuana policy should be determined at the state level, but also spoke out against related ballot initiatives, citing concerns that he could boost Democrats.
However, he signed the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp. The substance had been banned for decades, and his administration allocated resources specifically to implement the bill's reforms.
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Former President Donald Trump and President Biden (Getty Images)
The proposed rescheduling will now appear in the Federal Register, where the public can participate in a 60-day comment period. After this period, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will take the proposal to an administrative law judge, who will consider the related evidence and make a recommendation, and then the DOJ will make a final decision on reclassification.
Schedule I drugs include substances such as heroin and ecstasy, while Schedule III drugs include ketamine and anabolic steroids, as well as having “moderate to low physical and psychological dependence potential,” according to the DEA.
The change, while it would not directly legalize recreational marijuana use, could be popular among young voters, as recent polls suggest Biden is struggling with that demographic less than six months before the November general election.
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Various types of marijuana available to patients are displayed at Private Organic Therapy, a nonprofit medical marijuana dispensary, on October 19, 2009, in Los Angeles. (David McNew/Getty Images)
Other polls show a divide among Americans when it comes to easing marijuana restrictions, something Pew found in research released earlier this year, as “34% of conservative Republicans say marijuana should be legal.” for medical and recreational use, compared with a 57% majority of moderate and liberal Republicans,” the report said.
He added that “62% of conservative and moderate Democrats say marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use,” and 84% of liberal Democrats believe the same.
Fox News Digital has contacted the Trump campaign for comment.
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